Science Friday and Fresh Air Return

Proving that a public radio station can listen as well as broadcast, we have made some programming changes after receiving member and listener feedback regarding our July programming changes.

Effective Friday, September 27, 2013 and Monday, September 30, 2013:

Science Friday returns to the KWMU and WQUB lineup beginning Friday, September 27, 2013 and will air Fridays from 1-2 p.m. and again from 9-10 p.m.

Fresh Air will regain an afternoon slot on Monday-Thursday from 1-2 p.m. It will also remain on the schedule in the evenings from 9-10 p.m.

Here and Now will air from 2-3 p.m. Monday-Friday. We will continue our collaboration with Here and Now to bring reports from St. Louis to the national program on a regular basis.

Fresh Air host Terry Gross. Photo credit Will Ryan

“We made the decision to bring back Science Friday and move Fresh Air back to the afternoon as a result of feedback from our listeners and members,” said General Manager Tim Eby. “Public radio listeners are passionate and loyal people, and we truly value their opinions and their support.”

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About St. Louis Public Radio

St. Louis Public Radio | 90.7 KWMU provides the St. Louis region award-winning, in-depth news, insightful discussion and entertaining programs that focus on the issues and people who shape our community, our country and our world.
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Thanks for scheduling Science Friday again! It’s a learning experience for those of us who aren’t scientists. Enjoy the variety, scope and the host. Fresh Air is another favorite–always interesting–Terri Gross does a wonderful job with her interviews. I didn’t write before because I thought the programs had been discontiued by your network.

I am so glad to hear this. I really missed my Science Friday! And Teri Gross seemed to be banished to late radio so I’m glad she’ll be during the day again. I missed her too. We listen all day long at my house, but not late evening. Thanks KWMU!

I know this wasn’t in response to only my note, It is so nice to know that I was not alone in posing the request for the return of these two assets of NPR.
Thank you for listening so we will continue to listen.
Tim

You & your staff have a good ear & a good heart. Now, one more thing, bring back the replay of APHC on Sunday. I wonder if this is why the show has not toured the Fox for several years?. The show is not available on your App , just a snippet.

Thanks for listening. Few organizations do and I have really missed those daytime driveway moments from Fresh Air and as a non-science gal I also love to learn new things and that was what Science Friday was all about. One thing you really did well at ST. Louis Public Radio before, was variety programming, not just all the news all of the time, I think I can speak for your listeners when I say we like to learn new things and educate ourselves with well rounded programs not just opinion shows.

Wahoo!!! For my money (yes, I am a sustaining member) you can find another show for the 2nd hr of “there & then” (as I unaffectionately call it! Thanks for SciFri and for the double Fresh Air. GREAT NEWS.

Ok, I know I just posted one comment & maybe I won’t get this 2nd shot …. But somebody dissed Bob Edwards. I could NOT let that pass. When really major events happed, I still would prefer Bob telling me about it. And RARELY does anyone else have the knack for the little bit at the 30 min mark. SO THERE!

We really appreciate having Science Friday back on the air. Thanks very much for that. We understand only the first hour will be broadcast. Although we’d like the whole show, we’ll take anything we can get !!!

I am so glad to have these programs back, and am grateful that the station listened to the people who had the good sense to ask for these shows back. I missed them quite a lot, but was resigned to my fate. I also support getting Science Friday back to two hours.

Great move, bringing Science Friday back and returning Fresh Air to daytime. Now if only we could get The World back during the week and Dr. Zorba and What Do You Know on the weekends….

I also want to express my love of the TED Radio Hour. This has been a very worthwhile and high quality addition to the weekend schedule.

I was told at one time that KWMU partly makes its decisions on which shows to keep based on feedback during pledge/membership renewal time. The only question I’ve ever been asked is “What’s your favorite program?” Maybe a better question would be, “Which program is your least favorite?” I have so many programs that I like that it’s hard to pick just one.

I am SO delighted to hear that Sci Fri is coming back! YES!!!!! Please give us the full two hours. There is NOTHING else like Science Friday available. There ARE other programs similar to Here & Now. So, opting out of H & N to allow the entire UNIQUE Science Friday is not a big deal. PLEASE consider two hours of Sci Fri. Glad to hear Terri Gross will be back in the afternoon, too. I surely have missed her. One of the best interviewers on the radio.

I was an all day listener until the changes. Thank you for bringing back Science Friday and Fresh Air. Please consider bringing the 2nd hour of Science Friday back. We are a ‘science hub’ here in STL and it was ridiculous that the show was taken off the air in the first place. How can we have dedicated Science reporter and all the science related businesses (not to mention sponsors of the station) and not air Science Friday? It just showed how little people at the station really listen not only to the shows but to its members. Bring the second hour back and your listeners will continue to listen.

Several months ago, a friend asked me how I know so much about what is going on in the nation. I literally emailed her an NPR programming schedule and encouraged her to start listening to KWMU, especially Diane Rehm and Talk Of The Nation. And then the format changed. The programming was no longer compelling. Boo. But then then the format changed back again….(kind of). Thank you for responding to your listeners. I am happy to have Science Friday back and I think Fresh Air works better in the afternoon. I am glad you retained St. Louis On the Air. It is important for a local perspective.

Now, how do we pass the message to NPR to bring back Neal Conan and Talk of the Nation! I have nothing against Jeremy Hobson. I have enjoyed his work in the past. But I miss the content and format of TOTN. I miss the educated and objective host, Neal Conan. Like Diane Rehm, TOTN provided in depth discussion to educate listeners. With Here and Now in the afternoon instead of TOTN, I find myself flitting in and out of listening. I am NO LONGER COMPELLED to listen. I will even change back to radio music. I NEVER did that with Talk of the Nation. 🙂

About time. I will reinstate my monthly pledges again. What a horrible decision your program director made to cancel those programs in the first place. Very pleased they are returning to the air waves.

Thank you, thank you , thank you for returning FRESH AIR to the afternoon programming. Like one other commenter, I was just resigned to my fate, and did not request the return, but I had stopped listening all day. The Here & Now Program and The Takeaway are just 2 more “magazine style” programs, flitting from subject to subject with no IN DEPTH discussion of an issue. We have enough snipits of news. We NEED the Education that extended interviews can provide. And TERRI GROSS is the BEST interviewer anywhere, followed closely by Michelle Martin of Tell Me More. I became a sustaining member of KWMU because of its intelligent programming. The new programs I mentioned are too HURRIED, and jump all over the map with what they report on. Won’t be missed by me at all.

I agree with Kitty on Here & Now and The Takeaway — they are indistinguishable. The male hosts of both have a flippant attitude and no credibility. They’re not “appointment listening” — no focus, no in-depth topic to tease in promos, so they give no reason to listen on any particular day. I, too, was resigned to it and started casting about for other things to listen to during the day. Except for Diane Rehm and Don Marsh, it was one big long day of “Too Many Things Considered.” Snore. I’m really happy to get Science Friday back, but — and I know this is sacrilege for some of you — Terri Gross gives me the heebie-jeebies, so I will be tuning out from 1-2 M-Th. Kudos to KMWU for not letting that line-up drag on forever.

As a long time listener and sustaining member I was disappointed by the lock-step decision to go along with the network’s ill-conceived format change away from TOTN and Science Friday. As others have noted another news magazine made no sense to me; the energy and relevance of having real time dialogue that managed to engage the entire country is sorely missed. Where else anywhere was there a genuinely open non-ideological forum on which Americans could express themselves. Especially now with the Congress suffering from a kind of Political ALS it’s sorely needed. So yes, two cheers for getting Ira back on our air. And of course Terri Gross at the middle of the day is where she belongs.

About St. Louis Public Radio General Manager Tim Eby

General Manager Tim Eby joined St. Louis Public Radio on January 20, 2009 bringing more than 25 years of public radio experience to St. Louis.

Eby was a member of the Board of Directors of National Public Radio from 2002-2008 and served as Chairman from 2004 through 2007. He is an active leader and member of several other professional organizations including Public Radio in Mid-America.

Prior to coming to St. Louis, Eby was the Radio Station Manager at WOSU Public Media from 2004-2009. Prior to his work in Columbus, Eby transformed WVPE Public Radio in Elkhart, Indiana from a student-run station to a fully professionally staffed operation.